News from 09.04.2006

[Admin]

Sri Lanka President to meet all parties before peace talks


Apr 09, Colombo: President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to hold an All Party Conference before the next round of talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE.

Informed sources said the meeting is scheduled to take place tomorrow, but no official confirmation has been received regarding the meeting. The President has decided to meet all parties to apprise them regarding the government’s stand on the peace efforts.

The UNP, SLFP, JVP, EPDP, NUA and JHU have been invited to the conference. Before the first round of talks with the Tigers in February, the President held several rounds of talks with all parties.


http://www.colombopage.com/archive/April9132230JV.html

 

[srilanka1998]

Norway's ouster will lead to collapse of peace process says Bala
[ Sunday Leader ] [ 03:20 GMT, Apr. 9, 2006 ]

The LTTE has warned that the peace process in Sri Lanka will certainly collapse if Norway withdraws its facilitation and will eventually lead to war. LTTE Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham made the organisation's position clear on the issue of Norwegian facilitation after the JVP on Friday officially issued the President with an ultimatum to oust Norway. The JVP has threatened to withdraw support to the government unless Norway is ousted immediately and the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) completely revised at the next round of talks scheduled for April 19. Balasingham told The Sunday Leader, the JVP's demand for the expulsion of Norway is absurd and irrational and can only be characterised as political infantilism. He said it can be assured that the LTTE will not engage in direct negotiations with the Sri Lankan state without the facilitation of the third party, the Royal Norwegian Government.


Canada to slap terrorist label on Tamil Tigers
[ Toronto Star ] [ 11:55 GMT, Apr. 9, 2006 ]

The federal government will list the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist group, enraging those in Toronto's Tamil community who believe labelling the group will hurt Sri Lanka's peace process. "I am disappointed that the government has not consulted the community on its views," said Sri-Guggan Sri-Kanda-Rajjah, a prominent member of the Tamil community in Toronto. Government officials plan to make the announcement tomorrow, sources confirmed yesterday. It's the first group that has been added to Canada's list of terrorist organizations since the Conservative government came into power.


SL Tamils see India as their fatherland: LTTE ideologue
[ Hindustan Times ] [ 11:58 GMT, Apr. 9, 2006 ]

The Tamils of Sri Lanka consider "Tamil Eelam" in the North East of their island, as their "motherland", and India as their "fatherland", says the LTTE's ideologue and chief negotiator, Anton Balasingham. In an interview to the popular Chennai-based weekly Ananda Vikatan, which has been widely reproduced here, Balasingham said that the Sri Lankan Tamils had "always looked upon India as their fatherland." "We expect good relations to develop between India and the LTTE. I feel that such a situation will arise in the near future," Balasingham said.